Israel vs Hezbollah: A new wave of attacks

Written by: Aarthi Ramnath, Aakriti Anand & Raghav Bikhchandani

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Israel vs Hezbollah: A new wave of attacks

The context: On Tuesday, hundreds of handheld pagers exploded at the same time across Lebanon and Syria—as part of a covert operation targeting Hezbollah. At least nine people were killed—including an eight-year-old girl—and 2,750 were injured. Israel hid explosive material within a new batch of Taiwanese-made pagers imported into Lebanon—as a counter-offensive. Reminder: Tensions between the two sides have escalated since the October 7 attacks—sparking worries of a wider war.

What happened now: The offensive took a new turn as hundreds of walkie-talkies exploded across south Lebanon—just like the pagers. There are reports of solar panel systems blowing up as well. Twenty people have been killed—and more than 450 injured. The death toll from the pager attacks has risen to 12—including two children—with nearly 3,000 injured.

The Associated Press states the painfully obvious—which is missing in most reporting on these attacks:

The second wave also deepens concern over the potentially indiscriminate casualties caused in the attacks, in which hundreds of blasts went off wherever the holder of the pager happened to be — in homes, cars, at grocery stores and in cafes, often with family or bystanders nearby.

While the pagers were used by Hezbollah members, there was no guarantee who was holding the device at the time it was detonated. Also, many of the casualties were not Hezbollah fighters, but members of the group’s extensive civilian operations mainly serving Lebanon’s Shiite community.

What Israel says: While Tel Aviv has not claimed credit, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said: "We are opening a new phase in the war. It requires courage, determination and perseverance from us.” Of course, Washington denies any prior knowledge—and claims to be surprised at this unexpected turn of events. But everyone agrees the attacks have inflicted significant psychological damage:

They’re also sending a message to say: ‘We can target anything, we can target your communications network, we can target something that’s on your body, we can even target something you’re likely to carry in your trousers, pants, pocket, and that’s going to stop you from ever having children again.’

How did this happen: Lebanon and Hezbollah are subject to a wide number of Western sanctions—and usually have to procure equipment from third parties. For example, the walkie-talkies are an old model made in Japan—phased out in 2014. The pagers, OTOH, have a Taiwanese brand name—but were sold by a Hungarian intermediary. Hezbollah sources say they were likely tampered with while sitting at a port awaiting clearances.

The fallout: Israel’s own supporters point out that the attacks proved the mastery of Mossad—but did not have any strategic effect. These ‘victories’ are unlikely to deter Hezbollah—or its patron, Iran. But the attacks signal the first step in Israel’s plan to expand the war:

This extends the war goals from Gaza to across the Lebanese border, while Israeli rhetoric over an expanded war — including a possible ground invasion — intensifies. Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said the time to avoid a military confrontation in Lebanon was running out and that the “only way left to ensure the return of Israel’s northern communities” would be through military action.

Ofc, no one thinks this is a good idea—other than Bibi & gang.

Reading list: Al Jazeera is best at decoding every aspect of the attack—including the psychological impact. Associated Press has the most detailed and balanced reporting on the latest wave of attacks. New York Times (login required) talks to Israeli security experts—who flag the lack of a strategic goal.

Elections in Kashmir: Signs of life

Jammu & Kashmir is holding its first Assembly elections since the revocation of Article 370. The first phase—which began yesterday—registered a healthy turnout of 61.13%—across 24 constituencies:

There was a clear increase in turnout in all 16 seats in the militancy-affected areas of the Kashmir valley, in comparison to the last Assembly election held a decade ago, with many voters and candidates expressing hope that the democratic exercise will bring change to the region.

Reminder: The turnout in the 2014 Assembly elections was 66%.

The key contestants: include the Peoples Democratic Party—which emerged as the largest party with 28 seats in 2014. Chief Mehbooba Mufti formed a ruling coalition with the BJP—which proved to be her downfall.

What it means: J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha says the high voter turnout is “a testament to the strength of Indian democracy and people’s faith in democratic values.” People lining up at the booth offered a less rose-coloured view:

Many voters in the area spoke about the pain of families whose young men had been taken into detention in the period since August 5, 2019. “At least eight boys from this village have been in detention since 2019. If we have an MLA, we could at least request them to consider their case,” 48-year-old Mohammad Ayoub said.

Or this:

The past four years have been tough. Security forces have cracked down, and the humiliation inflicted by officials from outside instilled a sense of helplessness. Anti-people laws were framed without locals being consulted. I am voting to end our helplessness. We are at a critical juncture of history. Vote is my means to make a statement against the forces hellbent on destroying Jammu and Kashmir with each passing day.

The Hindu and Indian Express have more on the turnout.

The death of an EY employee

The death of 26-year-old Anna Sebastian Perayil—an Ernst & Young chartered accountant—caused a twitter tsunami. It was sparked by a letter written by her mother to the company's India Chairman Rajiv Memani—alleging her daughter had been crushed by an “overwhelming workload.” Perayil had spent just four months on the job—and died due to sheer stress:

Anna would return to her room utterly exhausted, sometimes collapsing on the bed without even changing her clothes, only to be bombarded with messages asking for more reports… Burdening newcomers with such backbreaking work, making them work day and night, even on Sundays, has no justification whatsoever… This is a systemic issue that goes beyond individual managers or teams. The relentless demands and the pressure to meet unrealistic expectations are not sustainable.

What made it worse: Not a single EY employee attended her funeral. In response, EY issues a boilerplate message of condolence—insisting “we place the highest importance on the well-being of all employees.” FYI: EY employs 100,000 people across India. Also this: In June, Article 14 did an excellent piece on how high targets and work pressure are driving employees to suicide. Economic Times has the full text of the letter. (Hindustan Times)

SpiceJet is in serious debt

The airline has unpaid bills totalling Rs 427 crore (4.27 billion)—accumulated between April 2020 and August 2024. It owes Rs 219.8 crore (2.19 billion) in tax deducted at source, Rs 71.33 crore (713.3 million) in goods and services tax (GST)—and Rs 135.47 crore (1.35 billion) towards provident fund (PF) contribution for its employees. Also this:

The cash-strapped airline also disclosed that 36 of its 58 aircraft are grounded, “primarily” due to “alleged default” in payments to aircraft lessors, financial difficulties affecting aircraft maintenance, and the unavailability of components and spare parts.

SpiceJet revealed its financial woes in a declaration to the stock exchange—to secure permission to raise Rs 3,000 crore (30 billion).

Reminder: Last month, SpiceJet furloughed 150 employees without pay for three months due to financial challenges and to maintain the company’s “long-term stability”. FYI: if SpiceJet continues to default on GST and PF payments, they could face heavy fines, legal action, and possible jail time. (Business Standard)

Ta-ta Tupperware!

The company synonymous with kitchen leftovers will soon be no more. Tupperware has officially filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US—after struggling for four years. It was $700 million in debt—and even a brief pandemic-fueled surge couldn’t save it from oblivion. The cause for its downfall:

By 2022, the company still relied on direct sales by an army of 300,000 amateur vendors. But shoppers were increasingly buying similar — and often cheaper — products online. They were going directly to Amazon or Walmart, and those who wanted to avoid buying more plastic goods could find similar containers made from more environmentally-friendly packaging.

Also a problem: In an age where Tupperware parties are a distant memory, the company still had more than 460,000 freelance ‘consultants’ around the world who sold its products. (Bloomberg News, paywalled, Economic Times)

The best hotel in the world is…

Capella Bangkok—which offers a one-Michelin-starred restaurant, a “spa sanctuary” called Auriga, and seven riverside villas with private plunge pools—starting at $600 a pop. It jumped ten places since last year—to occupy pole position. The others in the top five—in order: Passalacqua, Lake Como, Italy; Rosewood Hong Kong, Hong Kong; Cheval Blanc, Paris; The Upper House, Hong Kong.

As for India: The luxury safari camp Suján Jawai sneaked in at #43! What’s interesting—it’s far lower than Capella—and twice as expensive. The starting price of its exclusive 12 rooms is $1,200 a night. CNBC has the list of heavy hitters. Mint has more on Suján Jawai.

Reminder: Our guide to Bangkok has fabulous hotel options at a range of price points—and much, much more.

what caught our eye

business & tech

Bang the gavel—Google has won its appeal against a 1.49 billion euro ($1.66 billion) antitrust fine that had been imposed in 2019 by the European Union (EU) for “hindering rivals” in online search ads.
SpaceX is facing over $600,000 in fines for allegedly violating Federal Aviation Administration safety rules during two launches in 2023.
The union cabinet has approved two ambitious space missions: Chandrayaan-4 and Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM). Chandrayaan-4 will collect lunar samples—while Venus Orbiter Mission will study Venus’ atmospheric conditions.

sports & entertainment

Get excited for the Kareena Kapoor Khan festival—to mark 25 years of her film career, PVR-INOX is re-releasing some of her old classics. Too bad her latest—‘The Buckingham Murders’—has been a total bomb.
The 2024 Booker Prize shortlist is out. Five of the six are women—the highest female representation in its 55-year history.
Glasgow has stepped in to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, after the Australian province of Victoria dropped out due to high costs.

as for the rest

Another week, another climate change record shattered—this past summer in India was the second-hottest ever since 1970.
While India’s western and southern states have shown steady economic growth in the last 64 years, West Bengal has experienced a marked decline, according to a new government report.
A big boost for the government’s ‘One Nation, One Election’ dreams—the union cabinet has given the plan its blessing. Check out our Big Story for more.
Days after unveiling a uranium enrichment facility, North Korea has fired short-range ballistic missiles towards its east coast, according to South Korea and Japan.
Reuters has a must-read on the appalling exploitation of migrant workers from Pakistan and China in Italy. Our Big Story has loads more on the Italian luxury industry’s sweatshop culture.
Metformin—a common diabetes drug—could be a ‘fountain of youth’ by reliably slowing down the brain’s ageing process, a new study shows.
A new study has found that drinking two to three cups of coffee or up to three cups of tea a day was associated with a lower risk of developing diabetes, stroke and coronary heart disease.

Six things to see

One: Here’s a collab that wasn’t on our bingo list: Usha Uthup coaxing CJI DY Chandrachud into a duet. Of course, it was a goldie for oldies—‘Summer Wine’ by Nancy Sinatra. (Moneycontrol)

Two: Say hello to the fifth generation of Snap’s Spectacles—made primarily for developers—who have to pay $99 a month to rent them. The Verge isn’t impressed.

Three: We adore RiRi for turning extreme comfort into high fashion. First came shoes that looked like socks. But those pale in comparison to this awesome red-carpet ready bathrobe. Vogue UK has a detailed breakdown of the look.
Four: Seven years after the death of their lead singer Chester Bennington, Linkin Park is in the midst of a comeback tour—with Emily Armstrong as their new lead vocal. Watch them perform their latest single ‘The Emptiness Machine’ on ‘The Tonight Show’. NME has more on the controversy surrounding Armstrong.

Five: Josh Brolin and Peter Dinklage play siblings in this trailer for ‘Brothers’—a comedy about one last heist. The film also stars the beloved Brendan Fraser! The movie hits theatres on October 10 and will stream on Amazon Prime the following week. Head over to Hollywood Reporter for more plot details.

Six: The trailer for the long-awaited Bong Joon Ho sci-fi thriller with Robert Pattison—‘Mickey 17’—has finally dropped. The film also stars Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, and Mark Ruffalo, and is slated to release January 31, 2025. Deadline has more plot details.